Impeachment: A Citizen's Guide

by Cass R. Sunstein Narrated by Joe Barrett

Overview

As Benjamin Franklin famously put it, Americans have a republic, if we can keep it. Preserving the Constitution and the democratic system it supports is the public's responsibility. One route the Constitution provides for discharging that duty-a route rarely traveled-is impeachment.

Cass R. Sunstein provides a succinct citizen's guide to an essential tool of self-government. He illuminates the constitutional design behind impeachment and emphasizes the people's role in holding presidents accountable. Despite intense interest in the subject, impeachment is widely misunderstood. Sunstein identifies and corrects a number of misconceptions. For example, he shows that the Constitution, not the House of Representatives, establishes grounds for impeachment, and that the president can be impeached for abuses of power that do not violate the law. Even neglect of duty counts among the "high crimes and misdemeanors" delineated in the republic's foundational document. Sunstein describes how impeachment helps make sense of our constitutional order, particularly the framers' controversial decision to install an empowered executive in a nation deeply fearful of kings.

With an eye toward the past and the future, Impeachment: A Citizen's Guide considers a host of actual and imaginable arguments for a president's removal, explaining why some cases are easy and others hard, why some arguments for impeachment have been judicious and others not. In direct and approachable terms, it dispels the fog surrounding impeachment so that Americans of all political convictions may use their ultimate civic authority wisely.

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review - Andrew Sullivan

…elegant…

Publishers Weekly

09/11/2017
Constitutional-law scholar Sunstein (#Republic) is well positioned to provide this balanced and timely overview of the role of impeachment in American democracy. During the Clinton impeachment proceedings, he was asked by Congress to testify as to the meaning of the Constitution’s reference to “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Sunstein’s account of this and other relevant personal experiences make his well-informed insights easy for the nonspecialist to digest. He reveals that for both Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin, having the ability to impeach the president was essential to establishing governments with the accountability lacking in monarchies. Sunstein goes over the relevant history, including the impeachments of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, and discusses the related concept of removing a president for incapacity under the 25th Amendment (as a member of the Reagan Justice Department, he was called on for an expert opinion after the 1981 assassination attempt). The resulting book is an essential guide to understanding impeachment’s function within the “constitutional system as a whole” and a persuasive argument that the impeachment clause places “the fate of the republic” in the hands of its citizenry. (Nov.)

From the Publisher

With insight, wisdom, affection, and concern, Sunstein has written the story of impeachment every citizen needs to know. This is a remarkable, essential book.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin

“Thoroughly grounded in constitutional history and past practice… Excellent.”—Noah Feldman and Jacob Weisberg, The New York Review of Books

“Sunstein’s goal was to lay out a legal and historical framework for thinking about impeachment, independent of any specific president. I’ve been thinking about the topic a lot since finishing the book, and I want to recommend [it]… [It’s a] careful history of impeachment—of when the founders believed it was appropriate and necessary.”—David Leonhardt, The New York Times

“Considering that the only executive branch event more unnerving for voters than impeachment is assassination, Sunstein’s book…is a surprisingly cheerful read.”—Sarah Vowell, The New York Times

“Sunstein has written a concise, enlightening, and argumentative history and guide to getting rid of presidents… It’s more of a why-to and when-to, and a what-were-they-thinking-when-they-decided-to kind of book. Sunstein delves into the writings, speeches, and deliberations of America’s revolutionary generation.”—Carlos Lozada, The Washington Post

“An elegant new monograph.”—Andrew Sullivan, The New York Times Book Review

“A lively, compact, and authoritative account… [Sunstein] addresses the most intriguing questions posed by this little used but pivotal constitutional provision… Truly lives up to its promise of being ‘A Citizen’s Guide.’ …Excellent.”—Stephen Rohde, The Los Angeles Review of Books

“Explains the historical origins of the impeachment concept, and offers a checklist as to when the principle might be applied… Now, more than ever, cool heads are needed to safeguard the U.S. Republic: thank goodness for this book—and its handy impeachment checklist.”—Gillian Tett, Financial Times

“Impeachment: A Citizen’s Guide offers edifying background for an argument that might soon be in need of eloquent, as well as passionate, delivery.”—Richard Blaustein, The Los Angeles Review of Books

“A compact, concise, and highly relevant civics lesson. There have been a number of books published about impeachment, many of them partisan manifestoes. What makes Sunstein’s book of such great interest is its lack of fanfare and knife‐sharpening. The author is a learned and accessible guide as he maneuvers his way through the history of democracy’s nuclear option… A welcome, timely, ideal primer.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The book is a tribute to the Founding Fathers’ wisdom in providing for a remedy in case someone who is vicious, lawless and unfit should somehow end up in power.”—Scott McLemee, Inside Higher Ed

“Sunstein is well positioned to provide this balanced and timely overview of the role of impeachment in American democracy… An essential guide to understanding impeachment’s function within the ‘constitutional system as a whole’ and a persuasive argument that the impeachment clause places ‘the fate of the republic’ in the hands of its citizenry.”—Publishers Weekly

“This slim book is thoroughly researched, easy to read and for some perhaps a real eye-opener.”—Owen Dawson, The Irish Times

“Offers a highly accessible, brilliantly thoughtful, and politically neutral analysis of what the Constitution means for our present moment and for generations that follow.”—Ryan Goodman, Just Security

“With speculation rife about the possibility of impeaching President Trump, this little book is indeed timely.”—Felix M. Larkin, The Irish Catholic

“Sunstein provides a brief, readable survey of the issue, beginning with early English history and continuing to the present… Sunstein concludes with key questions that every American should consider together with the constitutional standards that would govern it.”—W. C. Johnson, Choice

Choice - W. C. Johnson

Sunstein provides a brief, readable survey of the issue, beginning with early English history and continuing to the present…Sunstein concludes with key questions that every American should consider together with the constitutional standards that would govern it.

Irish Catholic - Felix M. Larkin

With speculation rife about the possibility of impeaching President Trump, this little book is indeed timely.

Just Security - Ryan Goodman

Offers a highly accessible, brilliantly thoughtful, and politically neutral analysis of what the Constitution means for our present moment and for generations that follow.

Irish Times - Owen Dawson

This slim book is thoroughly researched, easy to read and for some perhaps a real eye-opener.

Inside Higher Ed - Scott McLemee

The book is a tribute to the Founding Fathers’ wisdom in providing for a remedy in case someone who is vicious, lawless and unfit should somehow end up in power.

Los Angeles Review of Books - Richard Blaustein

Impeachment: A Citizen’s Guide offers edifying background for an argument that might soon be in need of eloquent, as well as passionate, delivery.

Financial Times - Gillian Tett

Explains the historical origins of the impeachment concept, and offers a checklist as to when the principle might be applied…Now, more than ever, cool heads are needed to safeguard the U.S. Republic: thank goodness for this book—and its handy impeachment checklist.

Los Angeles Review of Books - Stephen Rohde

A lively, compact, and authoritative account…[Sunstein] addresses the most intriguing questions posed by this little used but pivotal constitutional provision…Truly lives up to its promise of being ‘A Citizen’s Guide.’…Excellent.

New York Times Book Review - Andrew Sullivan

An elegant new monograph.

Washington Post - Carlos Lozada

Sunstein has written a concise, enlightening, and argumentative history and guide to getting rid of presidents…It’s more of a why-to and when-to, and a what-were-they-thinking-when-they-decided-to kind of book. Sunstein delves into the writings, speeches, and deliberations of America’s revolutionary generation.

New York Times - Sarah Vowell

Considering that the only executive branch event more unnerving for voters than impeachment is assassination, Sunstein’s book…is a surprisingly cheerful read.

New York Times - David Leonhardt

Sunstein’s goal was to lay out a legal and historical framework for thinking about impeachment, independent of any specific president. I’ve been thinking about the topic a lot since finishing the book, and I want to recommend [it]…[It’s a] careful history of impeachment—of when the founders believed it was appropriate and necessary.

New York Review of Books - Noah Feldman and Jacob Weisberg

Thoroughly grounded in constitutional history and past practice…Excellent.

Doris Kearns Goodwin

With insight, wisdom, affection, and concern, Sunstein has written the story of impeachment every citizen needs to know. This is a remarkable, essential book.

Kirkus Reviews

2017-09-12
A compact, concise, and highly relevant civics lesson.There have been a number of books published about impeachment, many of them partisan manifestoes. What makes Sunstein's (University Professor/Harvard Law School; #Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media, 2017) book of such great interest is its lack of fanfare and knife-sharpening. The author is a learned and accessible guide as he maneuvers his way through the history of democracy's nuclear option. To impeach is a "national nightmare, a body blow to the republic." He notes that Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and their colleagues "thought a lot about impeachment," which was at the "core of the founders' intricate and majestic effort to balance the defining republican commitments to liberty, equality and self-rule with the belief in a strong, energetic national government." The how-to is clearly laid out in the Constitution—the House impeaches, the Senate convicts—but for what is less clear. A brief debate resulted in the purposefully vague "Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors." After taking a side street down "Interpreting the Constitution," Sunstein examines the impeachments acted upon by the House (of mostly judges). A weak try to impeach President John Tyler failed in 1842. Andrew Johnson was famously impeached in 1868 by a vote of 126-47; he was acquitted. The Judiciary Committee voted to impeach Richard Nixon along party lines, but he resigned before a House vote. As the author writes, the "impeachment of Bill Clinton is almost incomprehensible," and he is harsh on Kenneth Starr's prosecutor's report: "If it were a movie, you wouldn't bring your children." Like a good lawyer, Sunstein compiles a detailed list of hypothetical cases for impeachment, some easy, some harder. Though we may not need to "focus on the impeachment mechanism," writes the author, "we do need to know about it. It's our fail-safe, our shield, our sword—our ultimate weapon for self-defense."A welcome, timely, ideal primer.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169781571
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	07/03/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged

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